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Benjamin Sisko
Benjamin Lafayette Sisko (played by Avery Brooks) was a famous Starfleet officer best remembered for his seven-year assignment commanding station Deep Space 9 in the Bajor sector. After discovering the Bajoran wormhole, he became known to the Bajoran people as the Emissary of the Prophets. He fought the Borg at the Battle of Wolf 359 and was a key player in the Dominion War. Childhood Sisko was born in 2332 in New Orleans, Earth. His mother had been possessed by a Prophet — a non-linear alien species which lived in the then-undiscovered Bajoran wormhole. The Prophet had used Sarah Sisko to ensure the birth of Benjamin, who would later become the Emissary of the Prophets. A year later, the Prophet returned control of Sarah's body, and she left her son and husband. Joseph Sisko soon remarried, and his new wife posed as Benjamin's biological mother all her life. ("Image in the Sand"). She gave birth to his sister, Judith, and his two brothers. ("Homefront"; brothers established in "Paradise") During his childhood years, Sisko and his siblings were taught to cook by their father, who believed that eating replicated food was wrong. Joseph owned his own restaurant, Sisko's, where he made his children work in the summers. ("Homefront"). Joseph called his children his "taste-testers", and insisted that they all eat dinner together. ("A Man Alone") Sisko had a crush as a teen on Neffie Beaumont. He also dated Zoey Phillips for three years. ("Paradise Lost") Starfleet Academy Sisko joined Starfleet Academy in 2350. During the first few weeks, he beamed back to New Orleans every night for a family dinner. Sisko studied to be an engineer. ("Homefront"). During his sophomore year, he performed his field study at Starbase 137. He later considered it to be one of the best experiences of his life. ("The Ascent"). During his years at the Academy, Ben became friends with Calvin Hudson. ("The Maquis, Part I"). He also met his future mentor,Curzon Dax, at Pelios Station. ("Invasive Procedures") Sisko also became the captain of his Academy wrestling team. ("Q-Less") He once challenged a Vulcan, Solok, to a match after a few drinks. He lost, was humiliated, and resented Solok for decades. ("Take Me Out to the Holosuite") at Gilgo Beach in 2354.]] After graduation, while waiting for his first assignment, Benjamin met a woman named Jennifer. The two fell in love and were married. ("Emissary"). Their son, Jake was born in 2355. ("A Man Alone") Early Career Early Postings Sisko reunited with Curzon Dax when the two served together for a few months aboard the [[USS Livingston|USS Livingston]]. Dax became Sisko's mentor, and the two were friends for over a decade. ("Invasive Procedures") :In a scene cut from DS9: "The Wire", Sisko mentioned that he was assigned to the Federation embassy on Romulus as a lieutenant junior grade. While there, Stolpan, one of embassy's Romulan kitchen staff, got arrested by the Tal Shiar for political improprieties. Sisko, thinking he was invulnerable, decided that he would go into Tal Shiar Headquarters and convince them to set Stolpan free. Before Sisko proceeded with his foolish plan, Curzon took him to the side and told him that he might only make the situation worse by going in there, and that in the end, he would not be doing himself or Stolpan any good if they both ended up rotting in some Romulan prison. Benjamin later served on the [[USS Okinawa|USS Okinawa]] during the Tzenkethi War. ("The Adversary"). At the time, he was more interested in engineering and ship design than command. However, Captain Leyton noticed potential in young Sisko, and promoted him to Lieutenant Commander, making him the ship's first officer. ("Homefront") Wolf 359 Sisko transferred to the [[USS Saratoga|USS Saratoga]], and served as the first officer. Both Jennifer and Jake lived with him aboard the vessel. In late 2366, the ship was operating close to Earth, and was called to join a fleet at Wolf 359 to defend the Sol System from a Borg attack. The Battle of Wolf 359 was a massacre. Thirty-nine of the forty starships assembled there were destroyed. The Borg damaged the Saratoga forcing the crew to abandon ship. Sisko found his son and wife, but his wife had been killed in the attack. He was forced to leave her as the ship suffered a warp core breach. As late as 2369 Sisko blamed Jennifer's death on Jean-Luc Picard, who had been assimilated by the Borg as Locutus of Borg and had carried out the massacre at Wolf 359. ("Emissary") Recovery in 2367]] Sisko was faced with the loss of his wife, and raising his son alone. He found an outlet for his pain in his new posting at Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards on Mars. ("Emissary"). There, Sisko worked on the prototype [[USS Defiant (NX-74205)|USS Defiant]] — the first in what was to be a fleet of warships to defend the Federation from the Borg. After work on the project slowed, and design flaws became apparent, the project was scrapped. ("The Search, Part I", "''Defiant''") This left Sisko on the verge of resigning his commission. He intended to work on Earth, constructing orbital habitats, but struggled with the decision to leave. ("The Way of the Warrior"). As he was contemplating his next move, his former captain, Leyton, nominated Sisko for a command position. It seemed that fate had intervened, as Starfleet promoted him to Commander and assigned him to Bajor, home to the Prophets who had caused Benjamin's birth. There Sisko was to command an old ore processing station, built by the Cardassians during their occupation of Bajor, then abandoned as part of their recent withdrawal from the system. Under Federation control, the station was newly christened Deep Space 9 (DS9). It was to be Sisko's responsibility to help prepare the Bajorans for entry into the Federation. Arriving on DS9 in early 2369, Sisko was briefed by Jean-Luc Picard, whom he still blamed for his wife's death. At this point, Sisko told Picard he intended to resign. However, he continued his work, and assumed command of the station. Sisko's crew slowly arrived, and it was then that he met his future friends, Bajoran liaison Kira Nerys, security chief Odo, Doctor Julian Bashir, and Chief of Operations Miles O'Brien. He was also reunited with his old friend Dax, living in a new host, Jadzia. The situation on Bajor was hostile, as factions vied for control in the new Bajoran Provisional Government. Sisko learned that the only way to unite them all was to call on the Bajoran spiritual leader, Kai Opaka. Sisko met with her in a secluded area of Bajor, and she told him that he was to be the Emissary of the Prophets and was destined to discover the Celestial Temple — home of the Prophets. Sisko returned to the station and with the help of Dax, began studying everything known about the Celestial Temple. Eventually they discovered an unusual area in the Denorios Belt. Traveling there, they were surprised to discover an artificial wormhole. Dax was sent home by the Prophets, but they met Sisko, who explained linear existence to them. While talking with the Prophets, Sisko was forced to come to terms with his wife's death, and he returned to Deep Space 9. Sisko forgave Picard for his actions as a Borg, and informed him that he would stay in Starfleet. Sisko now had the strange task of commanding a station of Bajoran officers, many of whom revered him as a religious figure — their prophesied Emissary. ("Emissary") Deep Space 9 Life on the Frontier Deep Space 9's position at the mouth of the Bajoran wormhole made it prime real estate. Exploration and business opportunities were opened to the distant Gamma Quadrant, and DS9 became a wayport for ships and people from all over the quadrant. Sisko began encouraging Bajorans and merchants on the Promenade to stay on the station, in order to shape DS9 into a thriving community. ("Emissary"). He even approved the formation of a school on the station. ("A Man Alone"). Sisko had to put all his training and skills to use, as he was forced to balance command, diplomacy, his home life, and his new position as a Bajoran religious icon. Ben made first contact with the first species to come through the wormhole from the Gamma Quadrant, the Tosk, in 2369. ("Captive Pursuit"). He acted as defense in the extradition trial of Dax to the Klaestron government, and proved her innocent. ("Dax"). He fought in the war between the Ennis and the Nol-Ennis on the planet where Kai Opaka was stranded. ("Battle Lines"). Constantly dealing with Jake's friendship with a Ferengi boy, Nog, proved to be a challenge. ("A Man Alone"). But his most difficult tasks were preparing Bajor for life in the Federation, and dealing with his title as the Emissary. During late 2369, tensions on the station rose between Bajoran and Starfleet personnel. Scientific teachings about the nature of the Bajoran wormhole conflicted with the religious beliefs of much of the Bajoran population. Sisko struggled to keep the peace, and in the process had his first meeting with Vedek Winn Adami. ("In the Hands of the Prophets") Months later, internal pressures on Bajor exploded. A terrorist group called the Alliance for Global Unity — also known as the "Circle" — came to power, under support from the Cardassian Union, and sought to break off relations with the Federation. Starfleet was forced to abandon the station, but Sisko stayed behind, eventually proving the Cardassians' involvement with the Circle, which allowed power to quickly return to the Bajoran Provisional Government. ("The Homecoming", "The Circle", "The Siege") The Maquis Sisko was also forced to deal with internal pressures within the Federation as well. When the Federation-Cardassian Treaty of 2370 caused several colonies in Federation space to come under Cardassian rule, many colonists felt the Federation had abandoned them. They formed the Maquis, a terrorist group operating out of the Badlands. Sisko's old friend, Calvin Hudson, became a Maquis leader. Several other Starfleet officers resigned to take up the Maquis cause. Sisko felt angered by the actions of these officers, and felt the pain of personal betrayal by Cal Hudson. ("The Maquis, Part I", "The Maquis, Part II") ]] The Maquis continued their private war for the next two years, and gained more support among Federation citizens. Starfleet officer Michael Eddington and a woman with whom Ben had become involved, Kasidy Yates, began to aid the Maquis in their activities. When Sisko discovered this, he felt betrayed by both people. He was forced to arrest Kasidy, but Eddington escaped. Sisko felt that Eddington had betrayed his oath to Starfleet the same way Cal Hudson had and vowed to capture him. ("For the Cause") After almost a year of tracking Eddington unsuccessfully, Starfleet took Sisko off the mission. However, he had become obsessed with finding his former officer, and continued his work to bring Eddington to justice. After Sisko threatened to destroy every Maquis colony in the Demilitarized Zone, Eddington gave himself up on Solosos III. ("For the Uniform") Contact with the Dominion In late 2370, Sisko made first contact with the Dominion in an encounter with the Jem'Hadar. This launched Sisko on a path that would define his career. The Dominion declared the Gamma Quadrant off-limits to Alpha Quadrant species, and destroyed several Starfleet ships, along with the colony on New Bajor. Sisko returned to DS9 with the realization that he had discovered a powerful and dangerous new enemy. ("The Jem'Hadar") Sisko returned to Earth to brief Starfleet on the Dominion situation. Realizing that Deep Space 9 was to be the first line of defense from a Dominion attack, Sisko convinced Starfleet Command to finish work on the mothballed [[USS Defiant|USS Defiant]]. Sisko returned to DS9 with the new warship, and entered the Gamma Quadrant on a mission to find the Founders. ("The Search, Part I"). During the mission, the Defiant and crew were captured by the Jem'Hadar and placed in a simulation, testing their reaction to a Dominion incursion in the Alpha Quadrant. It was discovered that the Founders were in fact changelings, the same species as Sisko's security chief, Odo. Odo forced the Founders to release the Defiant crew, and they returned to the station. ("The Search, Part II"). Based on his experiences with the Dominion, Sisko's psychological evaluation became required knowledge for Vorta operatives in the Dominion. ("To the Death") Following two years of commanding Deep Space 9, Sisko was given a promotion, finally attaining the rank of Captain in late 2371. Soon afterwards, Sisko discovered that the Founders had begun infiltrating Starfleet, posing as high-ranking officers. One Founder, disguised as an Admiral, ordered Sisko on a mission to the Tzenkethi border, and then tried to provoke a new Tzenkethi war. Sisko and crew were successful in stopping the Founder's attempt, but it became apparent that there were now changeling infiltrators in the Alpha Quadrant. ("The Adversary") Rising Pressures Fears of Dominion infiltrators swept the quadrant, and when the Cardassian government was overthrown by the civilian Detapa Council in 2372, the Klingon Empire feared changeling intervention. A large Klingon task force docked at Deep Space 9, bound for Cardassian space. Klingon Chancellor Gowron asked Sisko for Starfleet's help in invading Cardassia Prime. Sisko was forced to reject their call for help, and the Klingons withdrew from the Khitomer Accords, ending decades of peace. Ben now had to ally himself against the Klingons and help the new Cardassian government survive the Klingon attack. He contacted his long-time adversary, Gul Dukat, and arranged to rescue him and the new Council. Faced with a war on two sides, the Klingons backed down. However, the balance of power in the Alpha Quadrant was changing, and this played right into the Dominion's hands. ("The Way of the Warrior") It was discovered that there was in fact a changeling in a high position of the Klingon Empire, and in 2373, Sisko and crew were ordered to expose the impostor. Undergoing cosmetic alterations to appear Klingon, Sisko took three crewmembers to the Klingon outpost Ty'Gokor to expose General Martok. The mission was a success, and it brought the two powers close to reconciliation. ("Apocalypse Rising") During a trip to the Gamma Quadrant that same year, Sisko took possession of a Jem'Hadar attack ship, and returned the ship to Starfleet Intelligence. ("The Ship"). Soon afterwards, the Dominion formed an alliance with the Cardassian Union, gaining a foothold in the Alpha Quadrant. They attempted to destroy Deep Space 9, Bajor, and cripple the Klingon and Federation fleets in one action, but Sisko discovered their plan and thwarted it. This new turn of events convinced the Klingon government to reinstate the Khitomer Accords, and Sisko allowed a permanent Klingon presence on the station. However, with the new Dominion presence in the Alpha Quadrant, war was now inevitable. ("By Inferno's Light") The Dominion War As Dominion fleets began coming through the wormhole on a weekly basis, Starfleet made the decision to mine the entrance to the wormhole. Sisko commanded the station during the resulting Battle of Deep Space Nine, the opening strike of the Dominion War. During the final moments of the battle, Sisko gave a speech to the station residents, telling them of his fondness for commanding the station, promising to return. The Dominion took control of the station, but Sisko implemented a computer program which completely destroyed DS9's main computer core. Sisko retreated aboard the [[USS Defiant (NX-74205)|USS Defiant]], leaving his prized antique baseball behind; the station's new commander, Gul Dukat, knew this was a sign from Sisko that he would eventually return. ("Call to Arms") Benjamin commanded the Defiant for the next three months, engaging in numerous battles with Jem'Hadar and Cardassian forces. Ordered to fall back to Starbase 375, Sisko was placed in command of a mission behind enemy lines, to destroy a ketracel-white storage facility. Sisko and crew traveled aboard the stolen Jem'Hadar attack ship he had acquired a year before, and completed the mission. ("A Time to Stand"). However, their ship was destroyed and they were stranded on a planet in Dominion space along with Jem'Hadar forces. Knowing he was beaten, the commanding Vorta, Keevan, gave Sisko his force's attack plans. Sisko was forced to massacre the Jem'Hadar troops, despite his personal objections. ("Rocks and Shoals"). Sisko's crew was soon rescued by General Martok and Worf aboard the [[IKS Rotarran|IKS Rotarran]]. ("Sons and Daughters") Having completed his mission, Sisko was promoted to adjutant for Vice Admiral William Ross at Starbase 375. He was forced to give command of the Defiant to Lt. Cmdr. Dax. ("Behind the Lines"). Using his new influence in Starfleet, Sisko created a plan to retake Deep Space 9, Operation Return, and convinced Starfleet to commit its forces. After learning that the minefield around the wormhole was about to be neutralized, Sisko ordered the operation to commence immediately. ("Favor the Bold"). He commanded the Starfleet forces during the battle from the Defiant, and made his way to DS9. Faced with an armada of Dominion ships as the minefield fell, Sisko ordered the Defiant to go down with guns blazing. In a vision from the Prophets, Sisko convinced them to destroy the invading fleet, and he returned to retake the station. ("Sacrifice of Angels") Following his defeat during Operation Return, Gul Dukat fell into madness, and was captured. He was forced to stand trial for his crimes. Captain Sisko was to testify at his trial, but their transport, the [[USS Honshu|USS Honshu]] was destroyed by Cardassian forces. They escaped in a shuttlecraft and crashed on a nearby planet. There, Dukat's madness intensified, and he attempted to kill Sisko. Vowing to kill every Bajoran, Dukat escaped as the Defiant rescued Sisko. Following the ordeal, Sisko vowed that from then on, "it's him or me." ("Waltz") Soon afterwards, Sisko hired Elim Garak to fabricate a recording designed to bring the Romulan Star Empire into the war. Ben struggled with the ethical implications of his actions, but in the end decided it was worth it. The Romulans entered the war, and turned the odds in the Federation's favor. ("In the Pale Moonlight") Sisko was chosen to command the first offensive into Dominion space in late-2374. The First Battle of Chin'toka was a success, but while Sisko was away, Gul Dukat managed to close the Bajoran wormhole, cutting off Bajor from the Prophets. He also killed Jadzia Dax. Sisko felt responsible, and decided to take a leave of absence to find a way to restore the wormhole. Ben and Jake returned to New Orleans, not knowing if they would ever return to DS9. ("Tears of the Prophets") After three months on Earth, Sisko was given a vision of a woman's face in the sands of Tyree. He reconstructed her face on a PADD, and Jake recognizes her from a photo in which she appears with Joseph, who reluctantly identifies her as Sarah Sisko, Ben's birth-mother. Joseph finally told his son about his true mother, prompting Benjamin to travel to Tyree to find the meaning of his vision. He departed along with his father, Jake, and Ezri Dax, the new Dax symbiont host. ("Image in the Sand"). While on Tyree, Sisko discovered the Orb of the Emissary, which restored the Bajoran wormhole. He also communicated with the Prophet who had possessed his mother, and learned of her true identity. Following the reopening of the wormhole, the tide of the war turned back to the Federation's favor, and Sisko returned to the station. ("Shadows and Symbols") Later that year, Sisko commanded the Defiant in the Second Battle of Chin'toka. The ship was destroyed by the Dominion's new allies, the Breen Confederacy. ("The Changing Face of Evil"). Sisko was then given command of the [[USS São Paulo|USS São Paulo]] which was renamed to USS Defiant. ("The Dogs of War"). He then helped command the final assault into Dominion territory. The Battle of Cardassia was a success, with the help of the Cardassian Rebellion. Afterwards, Sisko, Admiral Ross, and Chancellor Martok gathered in the ruins of Cardassia to celebrate. Faced with the destruction the Dominion had wrought in retaliation for the Cardassian uprising, Sisko did not feel like celebrating. He returned to the station to bid farewell to his crew before their reassignment. ("What You Leave Behind") The Emissary Initial Doubts When Sisko first met with Kai Opaka in 2369, she surprised him by proclaiming that he would be the long prophesied Emissary to the Prophets. He was at first skeptical of her assessment, and immediately tried to dismiss her, stating that he was simply a Starfleet officer. Any religious role in another culture would directly clash with his oath to uphold the principles of Starfleet. However, when he discovered the Bajoran wormhole and made first contact with the non-linear lifeforms the Bajorans knew as the Prophets, he became slightly less skeptical. He still rejected the role, but realized that the Prophets' ability to see outside of time must have allowed them to communicate certain information to the Bajoran people. Sisko taught the Prophets about linear existence, and became very important to them. They began referring to him as "The Sisko" ("Emissary"). The Bajorans began celebrating the arrival of the Emissary each year during their Ha'mara festival. ("Starship Down") Later that year Sisko met Vedek Winn Adami for the first time during a Bajoran-Federation ideological conflict on the station. The Vedek, an ultra-conservative, was not sure that she believed Sisko was the Emissary. ("In the Hands of the Prophets") In 2371, Sisko was confronted by Vedek Yarka, who told him that he had discovered a prophecy in which the Emissary was involved in the destruction of the Celestial Temple. After reviewing Trakor's Third Prophecy, Sisko ignored the Vedek's warnings. He continued work on a subspace communications relay through the wormhole into the Gamma Quadrant. However, Major Kira Nerys was slowly convinced that Yarka was correct. She interpreted the prophesy as referring to three Cardassian scientists aboard the station, and a comet which was discovered near the wormhole. The comet was on a course leading it into the wormhole, causing it to collapse. Sisko stopped the comet, but inadvertently released trace amounts of silithium, which caused the wormhole to constantly remain slightly open. In the end, this chain of events actually fulfilled Trakor's prophecy, without the destruction of the wormhole as the final outcome. Sisko began to take an interest in other Bajoran prophesies, but continued his skepticism about his role as the Emissary. ("Destiny") Following Destiny's Path Sisko continued walking the fine line between acknowledging the Bajoran beliefs and rejecting their admiration for him. In 2372, an ancient Bajoran lightship emerged from the wormhole carrying famed poet Akorem Laan. Akorem had apparently discovered the wormhole centuries before, and had been inside it ever since. Finally able to relinquish his title, Sisko jumped at the chance to allow the poet to become the Emissary. However, when Akorem began guiding Bajor down a road incompatible with joining the Federation, Sisko decided to challenge his title. He began studying the ancient texts, and realized that many of the prophesies applied to him, and not to Akorem. The two men traveled back into the wormhole and met with the Prophets, who confirmed that Sisko was in fact intended to be the Emissary. They returned Akorem to his own time, altering the timeline, but somehow preserving everyone's memory of the previous events. Following this, Ben slowly began to embrace his role as the Emissary. ("Accession") In mid-2373, Sisko experienced a series of pagh'tem'fars (Bajoran sacred visions) in which the location of the lost city of B'hala was revealed to him. He was also shown the destruction of Bajor after its entrance into the Federation. Following his visions, he recommended that Bajor not join the Federation at that time, which angered Starfleet Command. Sisko was forced to undergo surgery to stop the visions when they became life-threatening. ("Rapture") When Sisko entered the wormhole facing a Dominion fleet following Operation Return, the Prophets communicated with him once again. They refused to allow Sisko to die, and granted the destruction of the Dominion fleet. Referring to his life as "the game", they enacted a penance and told him that though he was "of Bajor" he would find no rest there. ("Sacrifice of Angels") Sisko's morale slowly fell, and by a few months later, he was thinking of resigning his post. Knowing he had much work left on Bajor, the Prophets sent him another series of pagh'tem'far, in which he was shown the life of Benny Russell a black writer on Earth in the 20th century. The trials endured by Russell allowed Sisko to reevaluate his problems, and he decided to stay on the station. ("Far Beyond the Stars") Later that year, Sisko inadvertently instigated the prophesied Reckoning, the battle between the Prophets and the Pah-wraiths. His son was possessed by a Kosst Amojan and Major Kira Nerys was taken over by a Prophet. The outcome of the battle was indefinite due to interference by Kai Winn. ("The Reckoning") Following the release of a Pah-wraith by Dukat into the Orb of Contemplation in 2374, Sisko was confronted with visions of his birth-mother. He traveled to Tyree and discovered the Orb of the Emissary, which reopened the wormhole and the Orbs. ("Image in the Sand", "Shadows and Symbols") Sisko was led to the Bajoran Fire Caves following the victory at the Battle of Cardassia, where he engaged in a final showdown with the Pah-wraiths, in the form of Dukat. Sisko destroyed the evil Book of the Kosst Amojan and killed Dukat. He was taken to the Celestial Temple, where his work had only begun. ("What You Leave Behind") Personal Life Hobbies Sisko enjoyed cooking, thanks to his father, and was a renowned chef; his specialty was Creole food. ("A Man Alone"). He also played the piano and had an excellent singing voice. ("Image in the Sand", "Badda-Bing, Badda-Bang"). He played Jokarian chess and poker, but wasn't a good bluffer. According to Nog Saurian brandy was Benjamin Sisko's favorite drink. (DS9: "Treachery, Faith, and the Great River") Sisko was a fan of baseball, and owned several holosuite recreations of the game, as well as a real antique baseball. ("Emissary"). He was also on the Academy wrestling team. ("Q-Less") Sisko's most ambitious pastime was the construction of an ancient Bajoran lightship replica. Sisko built the ship from scratch, using only materials available to the ancient Bajorans, with the exception of artificial gravity. The ship proved spaceworthy, and even helped prove that Bajorans had achieved spaceflight centuries before the Cardassians. ("Explorers") Another of Sisko's interests was history. He collected models of old Starfleet starships, and ancient African art. ("The Search, Part I"). He was very knowledgeable about 21st century history, which came in handy when he was once accidentally stranded in 2024 San Francisco. ("Past Tense, Part I"). One of his heroes was Captain James T. Kirk, whom Sisko got to meet during another accidental time trip to 2267. ("Trials and Tribble-ations") Relationships Soon after graduating the Academy in 2354, Ben met his future wife Jennifer on Gilgo Beach on Earth. Sisko was carrying lemonades through the hot sand and stopped on Jennifer's towel to cool his feet. When Jennifer learned that Sisko was a young Ensign, she was reluctant to go out with him, because her mother had warned her about dating young Ensigns. However, she relented, and her mother turned out to love Sisko. The two were married, and their son Jake was born a year later. Jennifer and Jake accompanied Sisko on his assignment to the [[USS Saratoga|USS Saratoga]]. When the ship was destroyed in a battle with the Borg, Jennifer was killed. ("Emissary") A woman named Fenna was Sisko's first attraction after his wife's death. In 2370, Sisko met her on the Promenade and was instantly taken with her. Unfortunately, he later discovered that Fenna was only a mental projection of Nidell, a telepathic woman married to Professor Gideon Seyetik. ("Second Sight") In two trips to the mirror universe, Benjamin met the alternate versions of his wife, Jennifer. He also had a brief romantic encounter with the alternate version of Jadzia. ("Through the Looking Glass", "Shattered Mirror") Sisko was introduced to Kasidy Yates in 2371 by his son. The two began dating after they discovered a shared interest in baseball. ("Family Business"). Kasidy later began smuggling supplies to the Maquis, and Sisko was forced to arrest her in 2372. ("For the Cause"). After Kasidy served her sentence, she returned to Deep Space 9 a year later, and the two resumed their relationship ("Rapture"). in 2371]] The two were engaged in 2375 ("Penumbra"). The Prophets warned Sisko that the two were not destined to walk the same path, causing Ben to call off the wedding; however Benjamin soon relented and the couple were married in a small ceremony conducted by Admiral William Ross. ("Til Death Do Us Part"). Shortly thereafter, Kasidy became pregnant. ("The Dogs of War"). After being taken by the Prophets to the Celestial Temple, Sisko appeared to Kasidy in a vision, telling her that he would someday return, and that he loved her. ("What You Leave Behind") Jake Sisko's son Jake was born in 2355 to his first wife Jennifer. Sisko remembered taking care of Jake as a baby, and looked back on the time fondly. ("The Abandoned"). By the time Jake became a teenager, Benjamin had already imparted his love of baseball to his son. The two would watch holo-recreations of famous games, and play the game themselves. ("Emissary") On DS9, Jake's friendship with Nog bothered Sisko at first, since Nog seemed to always get Jake into trouble. However, when Jake began to teach Nog to read, Sisko began to see their friendship was beneficial, and allowed them to remain friends. ("The Nagus") In 2370, Jake told his father that he did not wish to follow in his father's footsteps in Starfleet; Sisko took the news well and gave Jake his blessing, provided that Jakes pursue his chosen vocation with all his ambition. ("Shadowplay") Sisko became very concerned in 2370 when Jake's first girlfriend turned out to be a Dabo girl named Mardah. ("Playing God"). When Sisko finally met the girl, however, his fears were assuaged, as Mardah turned out to be very nice, and began to reveal sides of Jake that Sisko had never known. ("The Abandoned") As Jake began to concentrate on his future career in writing, Sisko felt his son slipping away. He occasionally forced Jake to come with him on various outings: on a trip to the Gamma Quadrant, the test flight of Sisko's Bajoran lightship, and to see the Bajoran wormhole undergo a subspace inversion. ("The Jem'Hadar", "Explorers", "The Visitor"). But Sisko finally had to allow his son to become an adult, and in 2373, Jake moved out and became roommates with Nog, who had by then become a Starfleet Cadet. ("The Ascent") In 2372, during an accident on the Defiant, Sisko was caught in subspace for more than thirty years. During this time, Jake became obsessed with finding a way to bring his father back, and eventually sacrificed his own life to return Sisko back to the moment of the accident. ("The Visitor"). Later that year, when Jake was slowly being killed by Onaya, Sisko discovered her true nature, and saved his son. ("The Muse") When the Dominion temporarily took control of DS9 in 2374, Jake decided to remain behind; Sisko was reluctant to leave him behind, but knew that Jake was a grown man capable of making his own decisions, however dangerous. ("Call to Arms"). Sisko did, however, have to explain leaving Jake behind to his very angered father. ("A Time to Stand") After Sisko's disappearance, Jake felt troubled by the loss of his father. He was comforted by Kasidy Yates and Colonel Kira Nerys, who believed that Sisko would return. ("What You Leave Behind") Friendships Academy Friends Sisko went to the Academy with a Benzite named Laporin, and Quentin Swofford, both of whom became starship Captains. ("Apocalypse Rising") Sisko's closest friend during his early career was Calvin Hudson. Sisko and Hudson had gone to the Academy together, and had stayed friends afterward. The Siskos and Hudsons often took family vacations together. They once attended the Mazurka Festival on the New Berlin colony. They also went camping on Itarnish III, which they considered to be their best vacation. ("The Maquis, Part I"). When Hudson abandoned Starfleet and joined the Maquis, Sisko felt Cal was personally betraying him. He allowed Hudson to escape Starfleet custody, but ended their twenty year friendship. ("The Maquis, Part II") Dax Benjamin's mentor during his younger days was Trill ambassador Curzon Dax. After meeting Dax on Pelios Station in the 2350s, Dax and Sisko were close for almost twenty years. Dax attended Sisko's bachelor party in 2354, and the two often visited Risa together. ("Invasive Procedures") When Curzon died in 2367, his symbiont was passed on to a woman named Jadzia. Despite the new appearance of Dax, Sisko insisted on calling her "old man." ("Emissary"). Though it was initially difficult for him to adjust to Dax's new appearance, Jadzia and Sisko became friends again quickly. ("A Man Alone") Sisko soon considered Jadzia one of his closest friends. On at least two separate occasions, when faced with the possibility of her death, Sisko did whatever it took to save her. ("Invasive Procedures", "Equilibrium"). When Jadzia called off her wedding to Worf in 2374, it was Sisko who told her that she was being unreasonable, finally convincing her to proceed with the nuptials. ("You Are Cordially Invited...") Jadzia was killed by Gul Dukat later that year, and Sisko was forced to say goodbye to her. Taking a moment before her funeral, Sisko told her that he needed her most now, and painfully regretted that she was gone. ("Tears of the Prophets") However, the Dax symbiont lived on, being joined with Ezri Tigan. The new Ezri Dax tracked down Sisko on Earth and helped him discover the Orb of the Emissary. ("Shadows and Symbols") Dax eventually decided to return to Deep Space 9, and continued her friendship with Sisko for a third lifetime. ("Afterimage") The Crew of Deep Space 9 Sisko grew very close to his command crew on Deep Space 9. Besides Dax, he formed close relationships with Kira Nerys, Miles O'Brien, Worf, Odo, and Julian Bashir. He would occasionally invite his staff to a home-cooked dinner. ("Equilibrium") However, he often had to draw the line between friendship and commanding officer. On more than one occasion when a member of his senior staff bent (or broke) the rules, Sisko was forced to come down on them without regard for their off-duty relationship. Though initially unsupportive of Jake's friendship with Nog, Sisko eventually grew to like the young Ferengi. Nog asked Ben to help him apply to Starfleet Academy; initially wary of the idea, Sisko soon recognized Nog's genuine desire to become a Cadet, and he approved. ("Heart of Stone"). When Nog returned to DS9 for field study, Sisko actually encouraged his friendship with Jake, hoping that Nog's new Starfleet discipline would rub off on his son. ("The Ascent") Nog later served under Sisko on the [[USS Defiant|USS Defiant]], and Sisko began to rely on Nog's presence among his crew. ("Call to Arms") Sisko assembled his senior staff in 2375 for a baseball game on the holosuite against a team of Vulcans. Sisko's team, the Niners, lost against the Vulcan Logicians, but the game brought the crew together, and they enjoyed the experience. ("Take Me Out to the Holosuite"). Later that year, Sisko also took part in a jack-in-the-box program involving Vic Fontaine with his crew. Sisko helped regain Vic's lounge after it had been taken over by the mob. ("Badda-Bing, Badda-Bang") Sisko assembled his crew together one last time, at Vic's, following the end of the Dominion War. ("What You Leave Behind") Chronology *2332: Born in New Orleans, Earth. *2333: Mother, Sarah Sisko leaves. *2350: Joins Starfleet Academy. *2351: Spends sophomore year on Starbase 137. *2354: Graduates Starfleet Academy; marries Jennifer Sisko. *2355: Son, Jake Sisko, born. *Late 2350s: Serves aboard [[USS Livingston|USS Livingston]]; promoted to Lieutenant. *Early 2360s: Serves aboard [[USS Okinawa|USS Okinawa]]; promoted to Lieutenant Commander. *Mid 2360s: Serves aboard [[USS Saratoga|USS Saratoga]]. *2366: Battle of Wolf 359; wife dies; transfers to Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards; works on Defiant class design project. *2369: Promoted to Commander; commands station Deep Space 9; discovers the Bajoran wormhole, becoming the Emissary of the Prophets. *2371: Meets Kasidy Yates; promoted to Captain; commands starship [[USS Defiant (NX-74205)|USS Defiant]]. *2373: Start of the Dominion War. *2374: Recipient of the Christopher Pike Medal of Valor *2375: Discovers truth about mother, Prophets; marries Kasidy Yates; Dominion War ends; joins the Prophets in the Celestial Temple. *2376: Second child born (presumably). Apocrypha :In the DS9 Relaunch novels, Sisko returns from the Celestial Temple on the day of his daughter's birth, and lives on Bajor with Kasidy. Sisko, Benjamin Sisko, Benjamin Sisko, Benjamin Sisko, Benjamin Sisko, Benjamin Sisko, Benjamin de:Benjamin Sisko fr:Benjamin Sisko nl:Benjamin Sisko sv:Benjamin Sisko